❖ The Virtues and Blessings of Salah in the Light of Hadith ❖
✍ Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
Narrated from Jābir (رضي الله عنه), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"بَيْنَ الرَّجُلِ وَبَيْنَ الشِّرْكِ وَالْكُفْرِ تَرْكُ الصَّلَاةِ"
“Between a man and shirk (polytheism) and kufr (disbelief) is the abandonment of Salah.”
[Muslim: 82]
This ḥadīth indicates that Salah is like a barrier between Islam and disbelief. Abandoning it places a person dangerously close to the realm of disbelief.
Narrated from Buraydah (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet ﷺ said:
"الْعَهْدُ الَّذِي بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمُ الصَّلَاةُ، فَمَنْ تَرَكَهَا فَقَدْ كَفَرَ"
“The covenant between us and them is the Salah. Whoever abandons it has committed disbelief.”
[Ibn Mājah: 1079; Tirmidhī: 262; authenticated by Tirmidhī, al-Ḥākim, and al-Dhahabī]
Salah is the distinguishing mark between Muslims and hypocrites. Even the outward observance of Salah shields one from open hypocrisy.
ʿAbdullāh ibn Shaqīq (رحمه الله) said:
“The companions of the Prophet ﷺ did not consider the abandonment of any deed as disbelief, except for Salah.”
[Tirmidhī: 2622; authenticated by al-Ḥākim and al-Dhahabī]
This reflects the intense concern the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) had regarding Salah. In their view, abandoning Salah was equivalent to disbelief.
Narrated from Abū al-Dardā’ (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever deliberately abandons an obligatory prayer, then Allah has no responsibility towards him.”
[Ibn Mājah: 4034; authenticated by al-Dhahabī and Ibn Ḥajar]
A person who neglects Salah willingly has no guarantee of Allah’s mercy or forgiveness.
Narrated from Anas (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet ﷺ said:
“The first thing to be lost from your religion will be trust (amānah), and the last will be Salah.”
[Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah by al-Albānī: 1749]
The disappearance of Salah signifies the final breakdown of one’s connection with religion.
Narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما), the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever misses a single prayer due to intoxication, it is as if the whole world and its contents have been taken away from him. And whoever does so four times, Allah has made it obligatory to make him drink from the pus of the people of Hell (ṭīnatu al-khabāl).”
[Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah by al-Albānī: 3419]
Missing even one Salah due to intoxication equals the loss of all worldly blessings. Repeating it four times leads to Hellfire's torment.
Narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما), the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever misses the ʿAṣr prayer, it is as if his family and wealth have been destroyed.”
[Bukhārī: 552; Muslim: 626]
The ʿAṣr prayer holds such weight that missing it is like losing everything.
Narrated from Buraydah (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever abandons the ʿAṣr prayer, his deeds will be nullified.”
[Bukhārī: 553]
Abandoning the ʿAṣr prayer not only constitutes a major neglect, but it may invalidate all good deeds.
All these narrations and reports emphasize that abandoning Salah can lead a person to the very brink of disbelief (kufr). Salah is the defining line between a believer and a disbeliever. The Companions viewed its abandonment as a severe crime, equal to exiting Islam.
A Muslim must safeguard every Salah in every circumstance, for it is the foundation of faith, the pillar of religion, and the bridge between servitude and salvation.
✍ Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
❖ Abandoning Salah Is a Declaration of Disbelief
◈ The Boundary Between Faith and Disbelief
Narrated from Jābir (رضي الله عنه), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"بَيْنَ الرَّجُلِ وَبَيْنَ الشِّرْكِ وَالْكُفْرِ تَرْكُ الصَّلَاةِ"
“Between a man and shirk (polytheism) and kufr (disbelief) is the abandonment of Salah.”
[Muslim: 82]
This ḥadīth indicates that Salah is like a barrier between Islam and disbelief. Abandoning it places a person dangerously close to the realm of disbelief.❖ Salah as the Covenant of Islam
Narrated from Buraydah (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet ﷺ said:
"الْعَهْدُ الَّذِي بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمُ الصَّلَاةُ، فَمَنْ تَرَكَهَا فَقَدْ كَفَرَ"
“The covenant between us and them is the Salah. Whoever abandons it has committed disbelief.”
[Ibn Mājah: 1079; Tirmidhī: 262; authenticated by Tirmidhī, al-Ḥākim, and al-Dhahabī]
Salah is the distinguishing mark between Muslims and hypocrites. Even the outward observance of Salah shields one from open hypocrisy.❖ The View of the Companions
ʿAbdullāh ibn Shaqīq (رحمه الله) said:
“The companions of the Prophet ﷺ did not consider the abandonment of any deed as disbelief, except for Salah.”
[Tirmidhī: 2622; authenticated by al-Ḥākim and al-Dhahabī]
This reflects the intense concern the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) had regarding Salah. In their view, abandoning Salah was equivalent to disbelief.❖ Deliberate Abandonment of Obligatory Prayer
Narrated from Abū al-Dardā’ (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever deliberately abandons an obligatory prayer, then Allah has no responsibility towards him.”
[Ibn Mājah: 4034; authenticated by al-Dhahabī and Ibn Ḥajar]
A person who neglects Salah willingly has no guarantee of Allah’s mercy or forgiveness.❖ The First and Last Lost Pillars of Religion
Narrated from Anas (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet ﷺ said:
“The first thing to be lost from your religion will be trust (amānah), and the last will be Salah.”
[Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah by al-Albānī: 1749]
The disappearance of Salah signifies the final breakdown of one’s connection with religion.❖ Consequences of Missing Salah Due to Intoxication
Narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما), the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever misses a single prayer due to intoxication, it is as if the whole world and its contents have been taken away from him. And whoever does so four times, Allah has made it obligatory to make him drink from the pus of the people of Hell (ṭīnatu al-khabāl).”
[Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah by al-Albānī: 3419]
Missing even one Salah due to intoxication equals the loss of all worldly blessings. Repeating it four times leads to Hellfire's torment.❖ The Special Importance of ʿAṣr Prayer
Narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما), the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever misses the ʿAṣr prayer, it is as if his family and wealth have been destroyed.”
[Bukhārī: 552; Muslim: 626]
The ʿAṣr prayer holds such weight that missing it is like losing everything.Narrated from Buraydah (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever abandons the ʿAṣr prayer, his deeds will be nullified.”
[Bukhārī: 553]
Abandoning the ʿAṣr prayer not only constitutes a major neglect, but it may invalidate all good deeds.
Conclusion
All these narrations and reports emphasize that abandoning Salah can lead a person to the very brink of disbelief (kufr). Salah is the defining line between a believer and a disbeliever. The Companions viewed its abandonment as a severe crime, equal to exiting Islam.
A Muslim must safeguard every Salah in every circumstance, for it is the foundation of faith, the pillar of religion, and the bridge between servitude and salvation.
